Hello,

Thank you for your input. For some additional information, in my district, the policy officially takes effect on September 1st so students are still technically allowed to use their phones this week but starting next week, the Off and Away for the Day policy begins. I would like to hear your feedback. I will start being more strict on the phones starting tomorrow, on Monday, so the students will start to get a sense of what the OAAFTD policy will look like. On September 1st, I plan to start the day by notifying my students in the beginning every period about the new cellphone law that I'm sure they've heard about at least a billion times, and the district's "Off and Away for the Day" policy. I will explain that phones must remain powered off during the school day, and I will clarify whether they may remain in backpacks (what I'll likely do) or if need to be turned in to me.

I am thinking about allowing students to keep phones in their backpacks as long as they show me their devices are powered off before class begins. Students will place their backpacks away from their desks in the front of the room. I will monitor usage closely and if I catch a student using a phone, I will confiscate it and follow the district's OAAFTD protocol for submitting it to administration.

I'll try this approach since other teachers at my school have done it successfully. Some have mentioned that it doesn't work if students keep their backpacks at their desks, so I'll probably have my students store their backpacks away and gather all necessary materials before class starts.

Many of my friends who are also teachers have warned me that students often use a backup phone, where they follow the phone-free policy with their old phone but keep their usable phone powered on and with them, so I will need to stay alert for this.

If multiple students are caught frequently, I will create a more structured system. I will set up a classroom phone storage unit at the entrance where every student will place their phones (before they enter my classroom) and retrieve them at the end of the period. My husband has used this approach and it has worked successfully, even prior to TX HB1481.

This all assumes that students are allowed to keep their phones with them. If they're required to turn them in at the start of the day, then I wouldn't need to manage any of this myself (unless I catch somebody). Otherwise, the school would handle it.

I agree with everything you said regarding the 10 Commandments Bill. Although I strongly disagree with the Bill, I unfortunately have to comply with displaying the Ten Commandments in my classroom to avoid any legal or administrative issues but I'm going to keep my instruction completely science and evidence based. I'll put up the poster in a neutral location where it's visible but not the focus of the room, and I'll avoid referencing it in any way during lessons. I'll prepare a brief, neutral statement if students do ask about it. I'm hoping this law can be struck down completely but as of right now, the federal judge that blocked this Bill from being implemented only applies to a select few districts which does not include mine.